Republica CEO to lead National Council of La Raza

MIAMI: Hispanic civil rights group the National Council of La Raza has elected Republica cofounder and CEO Jorge Plasencia chair of its board of directors.

Plasencia is the first Cuban-American to serve as chair of the organization's board. He joined the board in 2006, and previously was its vice chair.

Although the group was founded by Mexican-Americans, its bylaws were changed to require representation from all parts of the Hispanic-American community based on the US Census, Plasencia noted.

“We're going through a very important moment in the history of the Hispanic community. We're the largest minority in the country, and there are very important issues that we're dealing with as a community, such as immigration, education, and the economy,” he said. “So I see the next few years as a very important time to continue to build bridges in communities.”

Prior to founding Miami-based Republica in 2006, Plasencia was corporate VP and operating manager of Univision Radio. He has also worked as VP at Estefan Enterprises, the entertainment and hospitality company founded by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Plasencia also worked as director of Hispanic marketing for the Florida Marlins from 1996 to 1997.

Plasencia noted that he has also worked on NCLR's events and marketing initiatives in the past.

“Over the past six years, I've definitely been involved in NCLR's branding, positioning, conferences, and events, and obviously that was something with my background that I've been able to contribute to,” he said.